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Are you passionate about communication rights and improving the lives of individuals with communication disability or swallowing disorders?

Grounded firmly in the profession, we’ve designed the UTS Master of Speech Pathology course so that our graduates are work-ready and well-equipped to become innovators in this diverse and growing field.

What does a speech pathologist do?

Working across all age-groups, a speech pathologist assesses, diagnoses, treats and manages children and adults with communication disability or swallowing disorders related to a range of health conditions and disabilities.

Find them working in hospitals, health centres, schools, private practices, and various other settings.

Dr Catherine Gregory: When people think of speech pathologists, they often think of us working with children in helping children speak. But speech pathologist's can help people in a lot of different ways.

Dr Lucy Bryant: A speech pathologist accesses, diagnoses, treats and managers a range of communication and swallowing disorders. So things like speech, language, literacy, fluency, voice and social communication.

Helen Blake: And because we also learn about all the anatomy and physiology you need to speak, we know about any difficulties you might have with swallowing and feeding, so we can help with that too.

Dr Amy Freeman: It's such a diverse profession. We work right through the age spectrum. So from infancy right to old age.

Associate Professor Emma Power: Speech pathologists work with individuals, but we also want to change systems. So, can we make systems accessible for people with communication and swallowing disorders.

Professor Bronwyn Hemsley: Here at UTS in Speech Pathology, we're looking to prepare practice-ready graduates so they're ready to go out and perhaps work in a private practice or eventually run their own private practice.

Dr Lucy Bryant: We have specialized learning classrooms that offer our students the chance to work in small groups to apply the skills that they learn, rather than just being lectured and obtaining loads of knowledge, so that students can actually apply their skills in the types of settings that they would see in clinic rooms.

Professor Bronwyn Hemsley: The other thing we're doing is helping them to work with other professionals, inter professional practice. The job prospects for our graduates are extremely good and growing.

Dr Amy Freeman: Speech pathologists work in hospitals, health care settings, community health, schools, mental health, private practice. It's just so broad, it's a really diverse range of settings.

Professor Bronwyn Hemsley: And we're really focused on the future of Speech Pathology, so areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality, gaming technologies, the smart home devices and 3D printing of food are all areas that Speech Pathology might be going into.

Harmony Turnbull: I chose to be a speech pathologist because I really like the mix of science together with really connecting with people and making a different in people's lives. Dr Lucy Bryant: I chose to be a speech pathologist because I believe that every human needs to have the ability to communicate.

Dr Amy Freeman: I knew I wanted to work with people and I loved science and I loved teaching.

Associate Professor Emma Power: I really loved communication. I love science. I like connecting the two because we're in a profession that involves interpersonal skills where we have to deliver the science through the medium of communication.

Helen Blake: I also love the fact that I'm actually helping people to be able to participate fully in whatever opportunities they want to have across their life.

Why study speech pathology at UTS?

  • Technology-driven

    Digital health and assistive technologies are integral to our teaching and your learning. You'll learn the skills to locate and sift through evidence to decide on a treatment plan. We also offer the world-first “Social Media in Speech Pathology” subject, looking at how it can be used for professional purposes.

  • Hands-on, practical focus

    Hone your clinical skills in a simulated learning environment, use virtual and augmented reality, and practice telehealth at our clinic. Our “Integrated Practice in Speech Pathology” subject also teaches you the knowledge you need if you choose to set-up your own clinic in future.

  • Research-integrated

    Our research focuses on virtual & augmented reality, communication technology, critical care, voice, speech, language, communication disability and swallowing disorders. Our research outcomes influence policy & practice, and inform the course. You'll even learn from leading researchers in the Australian Stuttering Research Centre.

    

    

    

doctor examines patient's throat

Become a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist

The UTS Master of Speech Pathology is fully accredited with Speech Pathology Australia.

Once you graduate, you will be qualified to practice as a speech pathologist in Australia, eligible to apply for membership of Speech Pathology Australia.

doctors treat child

Make a meaningful difference

As a future speech pathologist, you can help people with similar conditions, and others who struggle to get their message across, to participate in society, as well as people with swallowing difficulties to have safe and enjoyable meals.

Enjoy excellent job prospects throughout your speech pathology career – your clinical knowledge, person-centred approach and eye for innovation will open up opportunities to work in a variety of settings.

Watch: Meet a UTS Speech Pathology graduate

Hear recent graduate Marina Samaan share her student experience during her final year (2020):

My name is Marina, and I'm studying a Master of Speech Pathology at UTS. I did my Bachelor's in Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences so I did have a bit of a background of what a Speech Pathologist did. I knew that a speech pathologist works with children and adults with speech and language difficulties, as well as a stutter and swallowing difficulties.

But throughout the course, it's changed in terms of our scope of practice. So we work with adults with acquired disorders like TBI, aphasia, stroke, you know, cognitive communication disorders. It's across the lifespan as well for people with cerebral palsy, autism, down syndrome, intellectual disorders.

I was inspired by my first ever interaction with a speech pathologist. One of my cousins was attending speech pathology services. I was amazed by what they did. I just thought it was so rewarding. So I was like, this might be it. And I love talking. So it was like, it's a perfect fit for me.

So I chose to study at UTS because everything in terms of our course units were up to date. I think the main thing for me was that they were integrating technology. So I was just like, this is the future. So I'd like to be a part of it.

The Master of Speech Pathology at UTS is a two year degree that's been accredited by Speech Pathology Australia. It's an innovative course where you have flipped classrooms so you do some work in the background and then you use that knowledge that you've learnt in your home practice in your classrooms.

We have these amazing world-renowned speech pathologists and psychologists and we've learnt such a vast variety of knowledge from them. The most rewarding thing about the course was just being able to watch people grow and achieve their goals.

I've been very fortunate to have a wide range of clinical placements, private pediatrics, government funded pediatrics. I've worked at a hospital, I've worked with disabilities. They really prepare you for what it's going to be like in the workforce. A speech pathologist can work in hospitals, they work in clinics, community health centres.

My advice for students that are considering a Masters of Speech Pathology is do it.

    

Course structure

  • Master of Speech Pathology

    16 Subjects
    96 credit points

    2 years full-time

    »  On-campus study
    »  80 days of clinical placements (approximately)

  • Year 1

    • Evidence-based Practice in Speech Pathology
    • Fundamentals in Speech Pathology
    • Speech Sound Disorders in Children
    • Language Disorders in Children
    • Research Design in Speech Pathology
    • Augmentative and Alternative Communication
    • Swallowing Disorders
    • Speech Pathology Clinical Practice 1
  • Year 2

    • Literature Review in Speech Pathology
    • Stuttering
    • Acquired Communication Disability in Adults
    • Speech Pathology Clinical Practice 2
    • Voice Disorders
    • Integrated Practice in Speech Pathology
    • Speech Pathology Clinical Practice 3
    • Elective

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